With a rope you really make your workout a lot tougher - and your muscles stronger. Are you going for tug-of-war or skipping rope, or just both?
Not only fun, but also super effective. With tug of war you train many different muscle groups and you also give muscles that you normally don't pick up so quickly with a wake-up call. The emphasis is mainly on your arm, back and shoulder muscles, but your calves and thigh muscles are also put to work.
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By adding a rope to your fitness routine, you create an intense strength and cardio workout in one. A battle rope is a heavy rope that you move up and down with both arms. This will train your arm muscles and endurance. Bend your knees slightly and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Try moving your arms up and down for about ten to twenty seconds. Ready to take it a step further? Then try to perform squats at the same time.
Battle ropes are hardly taxing on your muscles and the risk of injury is therefore small. In contrast to many other exercises, you also train your arms independently. So your one arm cannot compensate for your other arm, which prevents your strength difference.
Rope climbing is a common exercise in crossfit and perhaps the most challenging. Not only do you intensively use your arm, back and abdominal muscles, your technique is also very important.
Are you just starting? Strengthen your arm muscles by pulling yourself up on the rope and holding this position for a while. This way you will have enough strength to climb after a few workouts. To climb, hold the rope as high above your head as possible. Bring your knees to your chest and keep your feet together. Wrap the rope around your feet, with the rope going under one foot and over your other foot. Then straighten your legs, as if you were trying to stand, and grab your hands over so that they are again above your head. This is how you work your way up the fastest.
Skipping rope is an ideal warm-up before a fitness or running workout. You increase your heart rate and warm up your muscles. Start with jumping rope three times for a minute, alternating with 30 seconds of rest. Try to land on the ball of your foot, keeping your feet as close to the ground as possible. You twist the rope from your wrists.
